BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – CBS 42 is Your Voice Your Station. This year we’ve been able to help so many of you who reached out with concerns in our community. As we get ready for the Magic City Toy Drive, Investigative Reporter Jen Cardone checks in with our partners to see how you can keep making a difference even beyond the holidays.
It all started with the Magic City Toy Drive. CBS 42 is a proud sponsor along with the City of Birmingham and AmFirst.
Elly Arnold is AmFirst’s Community Engagement Coordinator. She says employees here are constantly finding ways to volunteer in the community.
“It is absolutely incredible to see how generous our community and our members are, and our employees here at AmFirst,” Arnold said. “Find your niche and find where you can do best, and it doesn’t have to look like just one thing. What works best for you is what’s best in spending your time.”
Arnold said this can be anything from stocking the warehouse at the food bank to volunteering data entry services.
Galvin Billups is the Birmingham Department of Youth Services Director. He said DYS can be your one stop shop to help you mentor students in the city as a coach or at the local library.
“We act as a clearing house and convener for a number of organizations that are reaching out to us and saying hey, we need additional volunteers as well,” Billups said. “They get an opportunity to see caring adults going into classrooms helping to read books with them to improve third grade literacy scores which is one of the big things that our state is really trying to meet the goal of proficiency for every reader.”
Arnold recommended Googling what makes you passionate to help.
“You don’t have to go change the world today, but start in your own community,” Arnold said. “See if there’s someone in your community that needs help cleaning up their yard that you can take a meal to – someone that you can directly impact.”
You can reach the Department of Youth Services by phone at 205-320-0879 or online.